Secondary rack and the process of making same



Oct. 8, 1935. Q WHITE 2,016,470

SECONDARY RACK AND THE PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Filed May 25, 1932 3maentor 676: W Gttome y Patented a. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Leonard H. White, Birmingham, Ala, assignor to Line Material Company,

South Milwaukee,

Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application May 25, 1932, Serial No. 613,577

Claims.

This invention relates to secondary racks and to the process of making such racks.

In secondary rack construction it is the usual practice to either weld, rivet or bolt the arms 5 :which project outwardly from the base member, such arms carrying the. insulator carrying pin or shaft. This construction necessitates certain operations and also increases the expense of construction. In addition to this, the joint between f the outwardly projecting arms and the base depends for its strength upon a welded joint or upon a bolted or riveted joint, which in time may become loosened and which also is subject to considerable variation in the process of manufac- "ture and sometimes defies even very careful inspection.

This invention is designed to provide a secondary rack and the process of making such rack in which no extra means whatsoever are needed to effect a secure, permanent and reliable joint between the outwardly projecting arms and the base member, but which instead provides a positive interlock between the base member and the outwardly projecting arms due to the manner in which the secondary rack is made and to the way in which the parts interlock.

Further objects are to provide a construction which dispenses with all auxiliary securing means whatsoever :between the outwardly. projecting arms and the base member, and which is so made that the outwardly projecting arms may be formed of channel material and the base formed of channel material and such members readily assembled and thereafter interlocked during the final process of bending the base member into its ultimate shape.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, of a secondary rack embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail on the line '45 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 2 showing the parts in one stage of assembly.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the secondary rack comprises a base member 50 having a channel shape and provided with a central web 1, side flanges or webs 2, and outwardly projecting flanges 3. At regular intervals the side flanges 2 are notched out, as indicated at 4,

to receive the inwardly projecting arms of the 55 V-shaped laterally projecting supporting members. These v shaped arms are indicated by the reference character 5, and are formed of sheet metal with their main portions channel-shaped, as indicated in Figures 1, 2, and 3.

The outer portions are free of the side flanges 5 and are curved or rounded, as indicated at 6, so that they form an eyelet for the reception of the insulator carrying pin or shaft 1.

These arms 5 have their side flanges notched, as indicated at 8 in Figure 2, to receive the ad- 10 jacent portion of the central web I of the channel base member. The arms 5 project downwardly and are held in place by that portion of the side flanges 2 of the base member which is not notched and immediately inwardly of the notch 15 4, as indicated particularly in Figure 2.

These arms 5 of the laterally projecting members are thereby interlocked directly with the base member and prevented from slipping outwardly therefrom, and also are locked tightly against 20 expanding or opening outwardly from their acute V-shape, as shown in Figure 2, by the contacting of the side flanges 2 of the base member with the inner ends of the arms 5.

The process which is followed in forming this 25 interlock and constructing these secondary racks is shown by a comparison of Figure 4, showing one step in the process, with Figure 2, showing the finally formed article.

In the process the base member is punched out 30 but is not completely bent into its final channel position. Instead, the side flanges 2 are left slightly sprung outwardly, as shown in Figure 4, and the arms 5 are left slightly sprung outwardly, also as shown in such figure, so that such arms 35 may be slipped through the notches t without restriction. Thereafter, the side flanges 2 are bent inwardly into their final position, as shown in Figure 2, thus binding against the inner ends of the arms 5 and causing the notches 8 formed in 4 such arms to receive the adjacent portion of the central web I of the base member, thereby causing a permanent, secure and positive interlock which cannot be released without completely destroying the structure.

This form of joint has been found very strong, indeed, and the process employed in its production is extremely simple to follow. It may be easily followed with ordinary equipment and does not call for elaborate operations.

Instead, all of the arms 5 of the laterally projecting insulator pin carrying members are positioned as shown in Figure 4, and thereafter the base member is bent to its final shape, as shown in Figure 2, thus simultaneously looking all of the arms in place.

It will be seen that a very simple process has been provided by this invention for making secondary racks, and that also a secondary rack having extreme sturdiness has been produced.

Further, it will be seen that this secondary rack does not require any auxiliary securing means such as bolts or rivets or welded joints.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as the invention may be variously embodied and is to be interpreted as claimed.

I claim:

1. A secondary rack comprising a channelshaped body portion having side flanges and having a plurality of openings arranged in pairs with a continuous central web between each pair of openings, a plurality of V-shaped outwardly projecting members having the arms of each of said V-shaped members formed of channel sections provided with notches interlocking with the central webs, the inner ends of said arms binding against the inner sides of the side flanges of the channel-shaped body portion, said side flanges holding said notches interlocked with said central webs.

2. The process of making a secondary rack comprising forming a channel-shaped body portion with flaring side flanges and openings arranged in pairs and at spaced intervals, inserting a plurality of V-shaped, notched, outwardly projecting arms through said openings with the notches in register with the central web, and sub- 4. A secondary rack comprising a channel shaped body portion having side flanges and having a continuous central web, a plurality of arms extending through said body portion and having inwardly opening notches directed towards each other transversely of the web and engaging the central web between said notches, said arms having their outer sides in engagement with the inner sides of the side flanges of said body portion, said side flanges holding said notches interlocked with said central web by holding said arms forced inwardly by said side flanges.

5. A secondary rack comprising a channelshaped body portion having side flanges and having a central web, a plurality of double-armed members extending outwardly from said body portion and each arm of said members being formed channel-shaped with the channels opening inwardly towards each other, said channelshaped arms extending through the central web of said body portion and being of channel-shape both interiorly of said web and exteriorly thereof and having notches formed in the side flanges of said channel-shaped arms interlocking with the central web of said body portion, said arms having their outer sides in engagement with the inner sides of the side flanges of said body portion, said side flanges holding the notches in the flanges of said channel-shaped arms interlocked with said central web.

LEONARD H. WHITE. 

